Whats next?

I guarantee every NQT, graduate, and student has asked themselves this on numerous occasions in the past few months of lockdown. But I am here to show you even the smallest steps have the biggest impact.

Back when times were "normal" I was sat in my staff room with my mentors discussing the next steps planning for the rest of the year and getting on with the completion of my degree and my prospects looked bright and somewhat certain. Here is my first piece of advice; nothing is certain. My mom taught me that and like many other young adults, I've only just taken her advice. Even though COVID hit and the world stopped I was still going, still trying to make my degree work, still tying up loose ends on assignments, and desperately looking for a new job.

Through all of that, I had my highs and lows like everyone else, but I want to share the low that sparked the; motivation, determination, and readiness to get back to where I wanted to be. As lockdown really settled in, I decided to keep a routine and this idea of "normal" was taken away from us right in front of our eyes. During which I was desperately looking for a job in the degree I was qualified in. I was refusing to take low pay and not applying for jobs in which I had no subject knowledge. I also did not waste £70,000 completing my undergraduate and postgraduate degree to teach a subject I disliked or had little enthusiasm about.

So, over the year I have built my social presence as an educator, socialist, and artist, which is a powerful tool and how I landed my dream job! As I was aimlessly looking for jobs and frequently checking websites just in case that job did come about and I was successful, I also acted on Twitter (see picture). I posted this and within a few hours, I received a message for a job advert that was not yet being advertised. So, with help from my careers team and colleagues who proofread my application, I took my chances and applied and after a successful interview, I got the job and couldn't ask for a better team of people to work with.

If you're an NQT, graduate, student, or just looking to enhance your prospects; speak to your careers advisors ask friends to proofread, build an online presence, engage in professional discussion, and most importantly do it for you!

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